EDITORIAL: Smooth the ride on NJ Transit trains

NJ Transit commuters get off a Long Branch-bound train in Red Bank.

NJ Transit Executive Director Veronique Hakim has been on the job a month and it must be clear to her by now that she has her work cut out for her. A new study found that ridership on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line dipped 12.9 percent between the summers of 2012 and 2013, while the number of people riding competing ferries and buses grew.

There are good reasons why people have abandoned the train line most commonly used by Monmouth and Ocean County commuters. People can't depend on it to get them to work on time. Some of that is a matter of logistics. Amtrak owns the tracks and its trains have priority over NJ Transit trains; there is a lack of rush-hour express trains to New York City; and Amtrak claims that it cannot get funding from Washington to repair or replace its own outdated equipment. On top of that, the commuting experience is often unpleasant and/or inconvenient.

Hakim needs to get the ear of New Jersey's congressional delegation, particularly rookie Sen. Cory Booker, and educate them on the real needs of Jersey Shore commuters. They in turn need to shake loose some funds for Amtrak dedicated to fixing infrastructure and improving service for New Jersey commuters. Daily commuters appear to be the largest group to abandon the Coast Line, as measured by a drop in monthly rail passes. The largest declines occurred in Monmouth and Ocean counties, the report found.

It's a long, slow slog to work in New York City on the Coast Line, and other rail lines from others parts of New Jersey. The trips often are made to feel far longer because of substandard amenities and poor customer service. The list of problems that discourage commuters from using trains is long. Lack of adequate parking at train stations. Dirty rest rooms on trains. Lack of rest rooms or other amenties at many stations. Surly conductors. Poor communication with riders about the reasons for, and length of, delays.

It is no wonder that the SeaStreak ferry ridership grew. While it has not returned to pre-Sandy levels, New York Waterway officials also said they saw a 3 percent increase on their New York to Belford ferry.

So in addition to the big problems that require federal assistance, Ms. Hakim must also address the smaller irritants that make riding on NJ Transit trains unbearable for so many. In the meantime, NJ Transit should consider reinstating discounts for people who ride outside the traditional commuting peak period. to win back riders.

The first valid comparison of ridership year over year will be the first quarter of calendar year 2014 to the first quarter of calendar 2013 - both post Sandy.

The bottom line is this: if New Jersey Transit truly wants to get back lost train passengers, It will have to make riding those trains more attractive by both getting our representatives in Congress to make the case for more money for Amtrak infra structure and by attending to the little things which make a big difference to daily commuters.

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EDITORIAL: Smooth the ride on NJ Transit trains

NJ Transit Executive Director Veronique Hakim has been on the job a month and it must be clear to her by now that she has her work cut out for her.

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